SWORDS AGAINST THE SKRAELINGS as played recently at Cold Wars was a mini-campaign over four strategic zones, which alternated strategic "map" movement with resolving all battles. At one end of the table was the Indian Village--the Sacred Mound a rise topped by the Barzo Last of the Mohicans cliff, which rose above two Barzo longhouses, Indian women, cooking fires, a sacred hut, the Indian canoe fleet, etc. At the other was the Viking Colony Settlement--a stockade section from the BMC Alamo playset backed by the Barzo French and Indian two story blockhouse, the large and small Barzo peat houses, the huge Viking longship (Jean) with smaller craft, and Viking women, cows, the Eskimos, etc. In between were other two middle zones completing the diamond shaped strategic pattern: The Woods (to the West) and the East River. Each side was organized in warbands of 25 figures (each including a Captain/Chief and a Hero! ).
Both sides had specific advantages both tactical and strategic based upon historical research on the period of 1020 A.D. Since this was truly an "encounter" conflict, neither side knew much about the other, so that these advantages were only revealed as time went on. As GM I was dressed up in my offwhite medieval shirt with two charms hanging from my neck, a Thor's Hammer and an Indian token (Spokane area tribe). Players included both veteran and first timer adults and two boys. The Commanders of both sides had been previously selected from our littlewars@yahoogroups.com 54mm discusion group moderated by Canadian Ross McFarland, famed author of With MacDuff To The Frontier, and they had also brought figures and terrain to contribute to the game.
I gave short briefings on the period cultures (which were actually quite different from what those who don't know the period would expect), the scenario, and my simple SWORDPLAY AND STRANGE! RS medieval rules (subsequently purchased by several players), Then the two teams huddled at each end to receive a special side info sheet and plan their initial strategy. War had been declared, but a peace could be negotiated after the first clashes--players were told there would still be things to do even if this was accomplished!
In the First Stategic Turn, the Indians (Manahat tribe or "People of the Spirit," and their allies like the Brookmen, the Statens, etc.) advanced in both middle areas through the trees and on the river. The Vikings, figuring that their Native American foe would have special advantages in the forest, elected to keep about half their force (2 warbands) in camp, and send the rest out on the river. Therefore no Indians were placed on the table, and the Vikings did not know they were there (the 6 Indian warbands were divided 3 and 3, with no remaining in camp). Note that I am purposly leaving out certain scenario details in case anyone wants to try this game again!
The huge naval battle which resulted on the river took up about a third of the game time. It was resolved as a siege of the Viking longship. the Norsemen had placed 2 of the 4 Viking shortships (20 footers built locally at camp on "Spirit Island," of the type used by the Rus for river trading) out in front of the longship, and two behind as a reserve, these with the Viking Commander and his 10 figure Berserker Guard (Conte Vikings with the Frisian Chief). The Indians had many small canoes and two large sea going canoes. Ship capacities were longships 25, sea canoes 10, smaller craft 5 each.
The Indians began by advancing and launching clouds of arrows, to which the Vikings could reply with only their 5 archers. It transpired that the Viking longship crew could simply duck behind their shields set on the gunwales, but those in the shortships took hits. Each side committed one ship at a time, which could then be intercepted by a ship from the other side. So the Indians advanced, the two Viking shortships did intercept, and each fought off two canoes while most of the Indians boarded the longship. Men howled blood curdling war cries on both sides, as many plunged dead into the water! The Indians had wooden armor that protected somewhat against arrows, but were no help against the iron blades of their opponents. On the other hand, the Vikings were outnumbered.
Finally, with the battle still in doubt, the reserve Vikings came up, but were intercepted short of the longship by the two large canoes previously attacking the longship on one side. Then the Indians got a bad surpirse as the Vikings went berserk and got lots of combat bonuses. However the Indians rolled well, and many were quickly lost on both sides, headed towards Valhalla or the Happy Hunting Ground. The bodyguard and Viking Jarl had been prevented from joining the battle at the longship, and more Indians now closed in, attacked them from small canoes.
The Berserks captured on of the large war canoes and two headed it back to camp, but it was intercepted and recaptured! On their third and last round of berserkergang rage, Viking Commander Thorfinn had to turn and flee in one shortship, as the rest of the bodyguard laid down their lives to cover his retreat. Ignominious, but necessary--in this period, losing your Army Commander is Very Bad! So, I consoled the Viking leader by saying "hey, that's what they are supposed to do--for the good of the side!!! Meanwhile the longship now beat off its reduced number of attackers. But losses had been so high that they decided not to continue against the Indian Village, but return to base and reload with more crew. (As the first Viking playing Thorfinn had to leave, he then turned command over to another).
During the Second Strategic Turn, as the longship returned to the colony, 3 warbands of Indians poured from the woods to attack the one 10 figure length shoulder high Viking colony stockade. A previous surprise to the GM, who came up with rules for it before game start, and now the Skandanavian players, was a light siege platform constructed by the Indian commander's daughter at home! Five Indian archers were allowed to fire from atop it down upon the Viking defenders as it was pushed from the woods. The defenders could not hide from them.
Yet the Vikings immediately counterattacked in cinematic fashion by leaping over their defensive work to engage hand to hand! Yikes! These guys must be...movie Vikings! While brave, trading casualties in the open was a losing proposition for the Northmen. Eventually the tower was intentionally pushed over by the redmen across the stockade and against the blockhouse, and several Vikings were killed by boulders serving as counterwieghts on top of the platform. Oh, those sneaky Native Americans!
A second Viking warband came up, but was so reduced that it fell back into the blockhouse, where all the women, Eskimos (Inuit) and cattle had gathered. A series of one to one heroic duels began in the doorway, similar to the famous one warrior stand and Stamford Bridge. As Barry Fitzgerald comments in "The Quiet Man:" Homeric!
Meanwhile back at the Indian Village, the survivors of the naval battle had landed only to meet a woman running up to them as they disembarked! Evil spirits were attacking the village, and the other women with the Indian Great Chief Grey Gull (who was not expected to enter battle as was the Viking Chieftan) had all fled into the woods!!! These Indians advanced, but soon encountered a terrifying (CENSORED). The Indian Great Chief and Moon Crescent, his wife and the Indian shaman, then joined up with the warriors in the center of the village. Crafty, the Indians rather than fight it themselves, sent out their single Viking Berserk prisoner, who was glad of the opportunity to die in battle. He went berserk to fight the monster, but both were slain in the ensuing fight!
Then Moon Crescent ascended the Sacred Mound (forbidden to all others on pain of death by taboo), only to encounter two more horrifying (SORRY, STILL CENSORED) and retreat back down before the slower fiends. The Manahats now retreated to the center of their village, but the two monsters went after instead their abandoned fleet, and began to destroy the canoes! Uh oh! The Indians, perhaps in their first mistake of the game, now realized they had to save their boats. They then sent up a smoke signal to their brothers far off at the battlefront at the Viking settlement (ten words only): "Camp attacked by Evil Spirits! We'll need your help quickly!" But their friends responsed that they were determined to win their own battle first!
During the Third Strategic period, as the great land battle continued to rage at the Viking camp, the Vikings had still elected to send reinforcements by lake to invade the Indian camp--ather than reinforce the defensive battle with their last warband. Then it had gone out on the river with a full crew. Now during the Fourth Strategic period, it approached the shoreline of the Indian camp. The Vikings then landed, destroying the entire Indian fleet (still abandoned), except for one large sea canoe which they captured. The Vklings then left to rescue their own camp during the Fifth Strategic Turn! Only now did the Vikings turn to their own shamaness, Sigdrid, who told them that the Indians had problems in their camp. The Eskimo shamen, Old Walrus Tooth, merely smiled.
Sixth and Last Strategic Turn: The Vikings landed back home and ran up to save the blockhouse, which now had only two defenders left at the doorway! Indians ran to meet them, blocked their advance, and reduced their numbers to almost nothing in scattered individual hand to hand duels. There were still another dozen Indians left around the blockhouse, surrounding it. The Indians announced that they would burn the blockhouse down with all inside! The Vikings prepared to die as in that famous Icelandic work of literature Njal's Saga (The Burning of Njal).
Thus ended the game. The Viking colony was in ruins; their failure to negotiate had doomed them after the Indians had proved a numerous and sturdy foe. Much as might have happened historically (no one knows for sure, although the Viking leaders were historical personages). Although the pagan Vikings had much in common with the pagan Native Americans, their racism blinded them to the possibilities of diplomacy, even as their Old Religion was being destroyed back home by the new Christianity! Their true victory conditions would have been to merge with the Indians who accepted "foreigners" of merit into their tribal confederacy structure (Beothuk People). But now there would be no blue eyed Indians.
On the other hand, the Indians had clearly won, but would now have to abandon their village, as they had not acted quickly enough to destroy the mystical enemy which had come upon them from behind. The origins of that enemy remains shroude! d in mystery for you the reader, although it was explained to some of the players. In the end, war to the last warrior had benefitted...no one. Thus closeth our tale. Fought again, it could be different...
Prizes distributed included signed xeroxed manuscripts of "The Marriage of Skadi," my retelling of Norse myth published in IDUNNA: A JOURNAL OF NORTHEN TRADITION, a Viking religion and culture revivalist magazine, which is edited by fantasy author Diana Paxson, who I recently met at a mystical ceremony held in Greenwich Village here in New York City (magazine inquiries to Greyhavn@Earthlink.net or web page at www.thetroth.org--tell 'em Charley Elsden sent ya). I also enjoyed talking to the Viking reenactors who had set up a tent in the ballroom lobby of the convention. Anyone interested in discussing the Viking or Indian cultures of the period, or gaming, is always welcome to email me at celsden@aol.com. Skoal!
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